The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-10-26
LEX MONUMENT.
THE CORNERSTONE LAID WITH impress
SIVE CEREMONIES.
Richmond Crowded with Visitors from
the Surrounding Country-Two Thou
sand Veterans In the Procession, and
10000 People Gather Around the
Monument Malone Refuses To At
tend,

sand Veterans In the Procession and
10000 People Gather Around the
Monument - Malone Refuses To At
tend.
| RICHMOND, Va, Oct. 27.-The Gay opened
gloomy and wet, with no change in tie con-
dltion OF the weather from that which has
prevailed for three days past Heavy clouds,
which have overhung the city since Sunday
night. have given almost incessant down.
pour of rain.
If the day had been better the city would
not have held the people, as it was the place
was crowded to its full capacity. Wade
Hampton and Fitzhugh Lee probably had
more applause, as they rode through the
city, than any other Of the prominent per-
! sonages in line. The Maryland line, headed
by the Marine Band, playing MARYLAND, My
Maryland. " also reused intense enthusiasm,
that air being as popular in the Confederate
States as any other of the war songs. The
| moment the band struck up my Marylandn
yells of applause followed all along. One
OF the regiments bore side by side Confed-
crate battle flag and United States flag,
| each flag powder-stained and full of bullet
holes. The United States flag was one that
had been captured by the regiment. and re-
| tanned by it, and the other was its own ban
ner.
| 'Them's original articles said one of the
I old Confederate bearers, and marriage
| has taken place between them. All these
! new United States flags you see round here
| are the children"
| Some of the old soldiers wore their dingy
and ragged Confederate uniforms in which
| they, had ur,endered. 80
| Another small matter that caused general
inquiry AID kept the big crowd in good
humor was the little heart with which the
survivors of the New Kent Cavalry had their
rolling, felt hats pinned up. and the red dia-
| monds which in similar way were pinned to
| the hats of the Hanover troops. This was
explained by the statement that the ace
of hearts was the former companys war
badge and the ace of diamonds was the same
sign for the latter company.
THE sToNEwALL BRIGADE RAND,
which marched all through the war with
| jackson. was popular feature. There was
| probably one full regiment Of old soldiers,
many of them wearing some parts Of the old
uniform and hats. and looking in their gell-
eral get-up very much as they did when they
marched through Richmond in 1868. Many
/ OF tnGm were III itjClf.GDhu ilfSG t1inC
sinte the war. The batte-scarred flag of the
Thirteenth North Carolina Infantry was s,ls-
pended across Franklin street, and as the
Confederates marched under it they uneos-
! cred their heads. -!
| The day was fshered in with mist falling.
/ which came steady, with no inaication of
cessation. In spite of this, however, the
people of the city and many thousands of
visitors were early on the Streets and by
| O'Clock the moving multitude was SO great
| r,,la iri.- shat inI,- IA.
population for the day was as large, md
probably larger, than on any previous occa-
| sion.
At an early hour the sound of martial
military, mounted and afoot, could be seen
moving to their various positions prepara-
tory to the formation OF the procession.
| Mounted marshals and. couriers dashed
Of troops and arranging the, line Of march.
Before ! 0 O'Clock the. rain had temporarily
! ceased, but the clouds remained unbroken
and threatening. The people. however,
seemed not to notice this, but had apparent
~ made up their minds s, to carry ont the pro
| shine.
| EX-SENATOR MAHoNE
wrote letter to Il friend, which was made
public thu. evening, giving. his reasons for
Lee as one of the grandest of men, and says:
The presence at the proposed ceremonies,
attendant on the laying Of the cornerstone
| q 3 monument to Gen Lee, at Richmond, of
| the most eminent and distinguished persona
thing from the occasion. If the matter were
in hands which sought an ovation from the
| whole people, irrespective OF past or of ex-
isting prociil tiles, it is, undeniabie, and so
granme as originally laid, was as intended a
to exclude from participation in the
ceremonies such IIen Ms were not
| in union with the management in their pref
udices. lam aware that it was hotly contest
| ed In the committee OF arrangeme DTS whether
Gen. Longstreet and myself should be in
| vitad, and that the spirit was to exclude us:
| and we were invited nader the pressure, per-
| haps, OF the public discussion which followed
under such circumstance. l ought to be at
| the proposed ceremonies. inaugulatea by
| gentlemen. who seemed disposed to coniine
! the invita- tions to persons OF their own kind,
guest differs nothing from being an unbid-
den visitor. To be invited under constraint
! torbids the idea OF welcome. could not,
and am sure my Old soldiers would not have
me, accept such an invitation. so enforced.
l will not be present on the OCCASION"
! The letter has caused much unfayorable
comment against Malone, and his friends
deemed it SO disastrons to him that some of
them were disposad at first TO treat it US a de-
vice OF some of his political oppolnents, but
did not notice the invitation committee of
! prominent Generala whose names were
| signed to the invitation sent him, and this
discourteAy is set down as o bit OF boeiish-
able by his opponents. and by his political
| friends rs mistake that will weaken him
greatly throughout the State. Gen. Long
street sent courteous letter OF regret, maxi
ing no illusions whatever.
Ex-Gov. Cameron, a prominent Repub-
lican, had prominent place IN the line, oc..
cupying q carriage with Gov. Wilson, Of
| West Virginia. Gen. William G. Wickham,
became Republican soon after the war,
rode ut the head of ole of his famous
Hanover troops, and sllch was the ovation
raid him that he had to keep his head UNI
covered all the time. Gen. G. G. Peek. q
prominent Union soldier OF Minnesota, badly
| wounded ut Coal Harboi, WAS i'll lint.
THE VISITING MILITARY
consisted two corps of Cadets, one from
the Virginia Military Institute and the other
! from the Blacksburg Agricultural and Me-
chanieai College two regiments of Virginia
infantry, three companies OF cavalry, four
faHtTy from North Carolina and one from
maryland. s.
Beside these there were several camps of
Confederate veterans from different parts OF
The State, and 600 veterans OF the Maryland
line The latter arrived here this morning,
and their appearance on the streets, with the
Marine Band, of Washington, at the head OF
the line, crea ted considerable interest. They
were everywhere greeted with enthusiasm.
Four professors and tifty-tiy students ar
rived this morning frum the Washington and
Lee University. Gen. r. L. Lee was. at the
time of his death, presdento this institute,
! and was succeeded by his St i, Gen. G.. W.
GUSTS Lee, who ia now president. Owing tc
the recent illness of the latter he was unable
to participate in to-day's ceremonies. but his
brothers Gen ". H. 7. tpopnlarly known Of
''Rooney'9 Lee and Capt Robt. e. Lee are
here The only other immediate members OF
the family are two daughters, who are al
present in Europe. At a few minutes before
A At the head Of the line came the CHIEF mar.
shall of the dGy,
:, GEN. WADE HAMPTON,